Royal British Columbia Museum Sunken Garden

The Royal British Columbia Museum Sunken Garden is in the seaside city of Victoria, one of thirteen communities that form the Capital Regional District of British Columbia. The sunken garden below the Royal British Columbia Museum is a great place to explore a unique area in the City of Victoria, B.C. Particularly since this garden, developed in nineteen sixty eight, could disappear under the foot print with the improvements of the museum building and grounds. The opportunity to explore nature and the outdoors in your backyard of downtown Victoria, B.C., is changing. Accessible from stairs on either side of the garden, a shallow pond and native plant garden, recessed below the roads on the corner of Government and Belleville streets, are like a secret refuge. In the Native Plant Garden of the Royal BC Museum, wild lilacs grow near the stairs that descend to the lower plaza. The Garry oak and shore pine trees are seen among several other native plants such as saskatoons, Oregon grape, red alder and another estimated three hundred other species. The sunken garden contains a pond with “Spirit” an abstract sculpture by Elza Meyhew which can be viewed from one of the benches along the concrete walkway. From the garden, there is an interesting view of the base and plaque for the carillon or singing tower. Constructed for the centennial and used since nineteen sixty eight, as well, the Netherlands Centennial Carillon houses sixty three bells that ring periodically throughout the day. The bells are rung using a clavier, a keyboard of sorts, that is connected by a wire to each clapper. This singing tower is about twenty seven meters tall and is considered a musical instrument that is played by a carillonneur. Also on the grounds of RBCM is a cascading water fountain and a time capsule sealed in nineteen seventy-one. See if you can find them too. There are other places to explore near the sunken garden. Thunderbird Park, Elliot Square, Empress Hotel Garden, Parliament Building Gardens, Harbour Walkway, Cridge Park, St Ann’s Academy Gardens and Beacon Hill Park are nearby.

Geographic coordinates N48° 22′ 13” W123° 25′ 6″

Royal British Columbia Museum Sunken Garden can be reached from the Trans Canada Highway. Continue along as the highway becomes Douglas Street. Follow Douglas Street to Belleville Street. Turn right onto Belleville Street to Government Street. The sunken garden is not easily seen from the roadside but it is near the corner of Belleville Street and Douglas Street and across the road from the Empress Hotel rose garden. There is limited roadside parking in downtown Victoria and several parking areas such as a waterfront site accessible from Wharf Street. City buses travel along Douglas Street.

Published by Healthy Naturalist

An avid walker, hiker and naturalist, I share these urban parks and outdoor spaces with you to encourage you to explore the neighborhoods in the Capital Regional District of British Columbia by foot. Immersing yourself in our natural world, on the southern end of Vancouver Island, is important to living a balanced life. Each place takes less than an hour to explore. Exploring your community by foot is wonderful and healthy way to experience the areas around your backyard with the added bonus of frequent rest stops for young and old. The parks, playgrounds and green spaces are described from north to south. A brief description of the nature of each community park is provided with directions.
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